Techniques used in early medieval Irish poetry

Ni disceoil duae Neill. Ni uchtat oenmaige mor mairg. Mor deilm ndiulaing ris re asneid Colum cen bith cen chill. Coi india dui do sceo Nera. In faith De de De Sion sudioth is nu nad mair. Ni marthar lend. Ni less anma ar sui ardoncondiath.

 

Ailim iath n-erend Ermac muir motach Motach sliab sreatach Sreatach coill ciotach Ciotach ab eascach Easach loc lindmar Lindmar tor tiopra Tiopra tuath aenach Aenach righ teamra Teamair tor tuatach Tuata mac milead Mile long libearn Libearn ard Ere Ere ard diclass Eber dond digbas Diceadal ro gaet Ro gaet ban breissi Breissi ban buaich [Be nadbail heriu] Herimon or tus [hir] hir Eber ailseas Ailim iath n-erend

I invoke the land of Eire:  much coursed by the fertile sea.  Fertile is the fruit-strewn mountain  fruit strewn by the showery wood showery is the river of waterfalls  of waterfalls by the lake of deep pools deep is the hill-top well  a well of tribes is the assembly  an assembly of the kings is Tara  Tara of the hill of the tribes  the tribes of the sons of Mil  of Mil of the ships -  Like a lofty ship is the land of Eire  lofty land of Eire darkly sung  dark Eber’s incantation  an incantation of great cunning  the great cunning of the wives of Bres  the wives of Bres of Buaigne  but the great Eire -  Eremon has conquered her.  I, Amairgen, have invoked for her.  I invoke the land of Eire.

 

"The first satire made in Ireland", from the story of the 2nd Battle of Mag Tuireadh.
This uses a little bit of rhyme, but mostly uaim, amus, and uaithne.
 

Cen cholt for crib cernini,
Without food quickly on a dish,
cen gert ferbba fora n-asa aithrinni,
without cow's milk on which a calf thrives,
cen adba fir iar ndruba disoirchi,
without a man's dwelling after the staying of darkness,
cen dil daimi rissi,
without a storyteller band's payment,
ro sain Brisse.
so be Bres.

Maile baire gaire Caieur
Evil, death, short life to Caier
combeodutar celtra cath Caier
May battle spears slay Caier
Caier diba Caier dira Caier foro
Caier by land, Caier by earth, Caier rejected
fomara fochara Caier.
Under mound, under rocks, Caier.

 

Messe ocus Pangur Bán, cechtar nathar fri saindán: bíth a menma-sam fri seilgg, mu menma céin im saincheirdd  Caraim-se fos, ferr cach clú, oc mu lebrán, léir ingnu; ní foirmtech frimm Pangur Bán: caraid cesin a maccdán.    Ó ru biam, scél cen scís, innar tegdais, ar n-óendís, táithiunn, díchríchide clius, ní fris tarddam ar n-áthius.    Gnáth, h-úaraib, ar gressaib gal glenaid luch inna línsam; os mé, du-fuit im lín chéin dliged n-doraid cu n-dronchéill.  Fúaichaid-sem fri frega fál a rosc, a n-glése comlán; fúachimm chéin fri fégi fis mu rosc réil, cesu imdis.  Fáelid-sem cu n-déne dul hi n-glen luch inna gérchrub; hi tucu cheist n-doraid n-dil os mé chene am fáelid.  Cia beimmi a-min nach ré ní derban cách a chéle: maith la cechtar nár a dán; subaigthius a óenurán.  h-É fesin as choimsid dáu in muid du-ngní cach óenláu; du thabairt doraid du glé for mo mud céin am messe.

Myself and White Pangur, each of us two at his own art -- his mind on hunting, mine on my subject.  I love better than all fame  to be quiet beside my book, persistent of inquiry; not jealous is White Pangur, he loves his student art.  When we two are (story without boredom) in our house, alone, we each have -- endless sport -- something to apply our skill to.  Usually, at times, after feats of valor, a mouse is caught in his net; as for me, into my net falls some difficult point of meaning.  He directs against an enclosing wall his eye, bright and perfect; against sharpness of knowledge my clear eye, though weak.  He is joyful with fast movement when a mouse is caught in his sharp claw; when I grasp a lovely, difficult question I am also joyful.  Though we are always so, neither bothers his companion: good for each his own craft, rejoicing in his alone.  He is his own master in the work he does each day; making difficult things clear, I can perform my task myself.

Bairre breo bithbuadach
buaid betha brethadbuil
rithen reil rathamra
ruithniges Ebermagu
lia luagmar lainnerda
ni luad nach liuin.

Eo orda ilchrothach
uaisliu cach cain chumdach
aire ard ollairbrech
ernes cach n-olladhaic
do buidnic balc Banba
barr Brogha Briuin.

Brigit búadach, Búaid na fine, Siur Ríg nime, Nár in duine, Eslind luige, Lethan breo. Ro-siacht noíbnem Mumme Goídel, Riar na n-óiged, Oíbel ecnai, Ingen Dubthaig, Duine úallach, Brigit búadach, Bethad beo.

Victorious Brigit, Glory of kin, King of Heaven's sister, Noble person, Dangerous oath [for false swearers], Far-rising flame -- Holy Heaven she reached -- Fostermother of the Gael, Support of the strangers, Wisdom's spark, Dubthach's daughter, High-minded person, Victorious Brigit, Life's living one.